VIRION
Non-enveloped, head-tail structure with Myo-type morphology. Heads are about 84-94 nm in diameter and and tails 140-219 in length. The tail is contractile with globular structures at its tip, has 6 long terminal fibers, 6 short spikes and a double base plate. The capsid has a T=16 symmetry (SPO1-like viruses).
GENOME
Linear, dsDNA genome of 130-140 kb, encoding for about 190-215 proteins.
GENE EXPRESSION
Genes are transcribed by operons. Some Twortvirus might have circularly permuted genomes.
ENZYMES
- DNA-directed DNA polymerase A [B6V2J7]
- Cysteine protease (Peptidase C51) [I7DJZ5]
- Serine protease (Peptidase S78) [B6V2N5]
- Metalloprotease (Peptidase M15) [B6V2R4]
- Metalloprotease (Peptidase M23) [A0A8S5RV49]
- Ribonucleoside reductase [B6V2M9]
- Deoxyuridylate hydroxymethyltransferase [P31654]
- DNA ligase [B6V2K8]
REPLICATION
CYTOPLASMIC
- Adsorption: the phage attaches to the target cell through its tail fibers.
- Ejection of the viral DNA into host cell cytoplasm by contraction of the tail sheath.
- Transcription and translation of early genes.
- Replication of genomic DNA. Transcription and translation of late genes.
- Assembly of an empty procapsid and packaging of the genome.
- Viral tail fibers assembly and viral tail assembly.
- Mature virions are released from the cell by lysis.